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Comrade Kennedy Iyere is a prominent Nigerian humanitarian activist, philanthropreneur, social entrepreneur, justice crusader and welfare advocate. He is a voice for the voiceless, a human hurricane of energy, and a man of awesome street credibility, whose name alone can start a debate, lead a cause, or ignite a positive revolution for social change. A polymath and intellectual colossus, he is known for his uncommon courage, unusual audacity, bold advocacies, and exceptional oratory. He is bold, daring and fearless. He is a philanthropist extraordinaire.
As a renowned humanitarian activist, top philanthropreneur, high-profile social entrepreneur and philanthropist extraodinaire, his humanitarian works have restored hope to millions of individuals and families. He owns and runs several nonprofits and social business organizations in different countries spanning across the North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Iyere has over the past decades designed and created fundraising portfolios and programmes whose total value is above $1 Billion.
He studied Philosophy from Ambrose Alli University, and has undertaken extensive professional development in philanthropreneurship, humanitarian advocacy management, grant writing and fundraising management, and non-profit/NGO management, across different continents, including Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.
Iyere is a man of high social capital and sophisticated political network, He is a major political influencer and national power broker, his interventions have contributed to the electoral victories of different Nigeria’s past Presidents and also several past and current Governors, Senators, Federal House Members and State Parliamentarians, earning him the title “The Political Game Changer”. He has aided the appointments of Ministers, both past and present. He is the Originator of the Youth Economic Intervention and De-Radicalization Programme (YEIDEP), Nigeria’s most visible national youth empowerment programme, anchored and supervised by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
A leading voice in pro-democracy, humanitarian and social welfare activism, Iyere has significantly shaped Nigeria’s democratic and political transitions and one of such projects of his was the “Obidient Movement”, a youth-driven revolutionary movement that altered Nigeria’s political space in 2023, with Peter Obi as the principal beneficiary. Iyere was the body and soul of that great movement. Currently, he serves as Coordinator-General of the Youth Economic Intervention and De-Radicalization Programme (YEIDEP), a national youth economic scheme anchored and supervised by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, with a mandate to empower 20 million youths by 2027.
Iyere is highly connected and influential in the world of politics, business, philanthropy and also in the civil society where he calls the shots. He is well respected in the cycle of wealthy, as a top business leader and a highly accomplished social entrepreneur. But his heart, body and soul belong to the ordinary people, especially the voiceless and most vulnerable.
Iyere had through the past two decades created, funded and delivered both humanitarian and development intervention projects for Nigeria’s governments and MDAs across the federal and state levels. Nigeria’s President, Governors, Federal and State Governments and their Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have benefited from his
philanthropic interventions.. Likewise, Iyere has sponsored and financed several social welfare programmes for individuals, families, communities, religious groups, professional associations, NGOs, CSOs and FBOs.
A serial social entrepreneur, Iyere is the Founder/CEO of Youths Off The Street Initiative (YOTSI), which is one of Africa’s largest youth enterprise development non-governmental organizations. He is also the Founder/CEO of several non-profits, social businesses and civil society networks, including FUND-YES Cooperative, Food4All Initiative, Civil Society Committee For Anti-Fraud Election Security (CISCAES), Skills For Africa Coalition (SFAC), Nigeria4Peace Initiative, FUND4KIDS, 40Million Ballots Movement, Take-The-Money Campaign, No-BVAS-NO-Result Campaign, Save-The-Vote Campaign, Hope For Our Generation Economic Empowerment Coalition (HOGEEC), Cooperative Youth Farmers and Allied Entrepreneurs Programme (CYFAEP), YesWeCan2027 and several others.. He loves vacations, music and sports. He also loves reading.